A STOCKTON leisure chief has denied “poaching” a much-loved festival due to come to Billingham next year.

The Festival of Thrift is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year but its 2022 edition will be its last in Kirkleatham, near Redcar, for the time being. The popular event is to move to Billingham in the wake of unrest and some unhappiness at Redcar and Cleveland Council over the financial return on the festival, and the council missing out on car parking cash.

Organisers said they felt the “time was right” to move to another site. Billingham is set to benefit in 2023.

Following rumblings in Redcar over the departure of the festival, Stockton councillor Jim Beall denied his council had played a role in “poaching” the event.

The cabinet member for culture, leisure and health said: “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with Festival of Thrift and will also be making a significant financial commitment to host this well-established and nationally-renowned event in Billingham next year.

“Billingham will make an ideal venue for the festival, which pulls in tens of thousands of visitors and provides a major boost to the local economy while also spreading an important environmental message about sustainable living. This comes at a time when we’re working very hard to support events across the borough, which has seen the council support the likes of Billingham International Folklore Festival of World Dance, Thornaby Show and the recent Christmas events in Norton and Yarm.

“In keeping with this, we’re also pleased that the Festival of Thrift organisers are planning a series of related activities in some of our other townships in the build-up to the event.”

Councillor Billy Wells, who leads the Redcar and Cleveland Independent Group, said a “stand had been made” over the festival, which last year attracted about 50,000 visitors who were estimated to have spent up to £2m.

In a statement, the group said that festival organisers had requested a three-year extension to an existing agreement with Redcar and Cleveland Council – meaning the festival would continue to be based in Redcar until 2025 with a grant of £100,000 a year.

It added: “In the present financial climate there is no way that the council could justify this. The Festival of Thrift contacted the council two days later to say they were moving to Billingham.”

Emma Whitenstall, director of the festival, said Redcar was “in a great place” – referring to the Town Deal and new cultural hub – before adding they felt “the time was right” to move to another site.

She added: “The move to Billingham is in line with Stockton’s borough-wide events programme and a direct response to consultation carried out with residents in recent years. The festival will also be an important part of connecting the community with the council’s ambitious environmental sustainability and carbon reduction strategy.

“The seven years we have spent in Redcar have been utterly magical and we will be very sad to leave Kirkleatham but we are extremely confident that we are leaving Redcar in a better place than when we arrived. There is no other place that we would rather celebrate our tenth celebration and we look forward to welcoming everyone in September as we come together and share achievable and creative ways to make the shift to thrift.”

Festival of Thrift started in Darlington in 2012 before moving to Redcar in 2016. Redcar and Cleveland bosses hailed the festival’s impact but appreciated it was an event which was “always designed to move around”.

Cllr Beall hinted that the Billingham Forum could be involved in the hosting of the 2023 edition. He added: “It’s not on the same scale of getting the City Games but it’s up there amongst it.”

When it came to finances and sums paid to host the festival, Cllr Beall told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it was “early days” – with efforts ongoing to seek out matched support from the Arts Council. He added: “Given the analysis of the £2m return for Redcar and Cleveland, we anticipate it will be good value for money.”